Endings
by alynwa
Summary: Jerry makes a decision. This is the latest installment of a continuing story arc that started with "Happily Ever After."
1. Chapter 1

Lady Lloyd, in town for a week at Jerry's invitation to visit her daughter, met Katie for brunch in the Mandarin's Asana restaurant. Katie had stayed the night with Jerry and though he had offered to accompany her, she had thought it best to go it alone. Her mother had already humiliated him by refusing to stay in his guest room and asking what was wrong with him, so she wanted to avoid more of the same.

They made polite small talk as they sipped their tea, chewed their food and daintily dabbed at the corners of their mouths as they tried to avoid the elephant in the room. Finally, Katie screwed her courage up and said, "All right, Mother; please tell me: What do you have against Jerry? What are your objections to our marrying?" She watched as her mother took another bite of her lobster omelet while she gathered her thoughts.

"First of all, my dear daughter, your father and I love you very much and only want what's best for you. We weren't very happy when you decided to move to America to practice law, but it is obvious that you have been very successful. Chang Poole and Schmidt is a world – class law firm and we are so very proud that you're doing well. We've been looking forward to you finding a man to love, marry and with whom to have a family. When Mr. Espenson contacted us, we were thrilled to hear you were engaged."

"But?"

"This Jerry person seems nice enough, Katie, but think of your children. You _do _want to have children one day, don't you?"

Katie flushed slightly. "Honestly, we've never discussed having a family. I mean, one day, it would be nice to have children or at least a _child_, but we really haven't looked that far down the road."

"Think about it now, Sweetheart. Do you want to take a chance on having a child who is as…_odd _as he seems to be?" Katie squirmed in her seat as her mother watched. "I believe you love this man, Katie, but trust me: Love isn't everything. It doesn't burn brightly forever. Just think about it, Dear."

"I don't have to think about it, Mother. I love Jerry and we will be very happy together. And for you information, Jerry isn't odd; he has a condition called Asperger's Syndrome. He controls it with medication."

Her mother's teacup hit the saucer with a clatter that drew the attention of nearby diners. "He's like that with _medication?_" she hissed. "Good Lord."

"Mother, let's just drop it."

"Fine. I assume you would like me to help with the wedding planning?"

_Oh, dear. _"Actually, Mum, I had asked Shirley Schmidt to help me and she agreed."

"I see." Lady Lloyd picked up her fork and resumed eating. "It would seem my presence here is completely unnecessary."

"I wouldn't say that, but having someone helping me plan a wedding she hopes never happens is a little awkward, don't you think?" When she got no answer, she followed her mother's lead and returned to her meal. _Oh, dear._

Jerry was sitting at his kitchen counter holding a cold cup of coffee as he recalled what had transpired the night before. He had expected Katie to rip him a new one when she re – entered his apartment after seeing her mother into a cab. _And she was still pretty annoyed, but she realized…_

His doorbell interrupted his train of thought. "Who is it?"

"Alan."

He raced to the door and lifted his right hand from his thigh long enough to unlock and open it. "Alan! Hello! Come in!" He hopped and moved away to allow his guest to enter.

"Good afternoon, Jerry. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but after your call last night, I thought I would make you one of my Saturday errands. Are you all right? Where's Katie? And more importantly, where is her mother?" As he spoke, Alan moved farther into the apartment, taking note again at how meticulously clean it was. He took off his coat and let it drop onto the sofa.

"_Purrrrr, _Katie and her mother went to brunch. I offered to go with her, but she thought it best _pop pop _that I not go." He walked back into the kitchen with Alan behind him. "Coffee?"

"No, thank you; I really can't stay too long. I just wanted to check on you." Alan slid onto one of the kitchen stools. "How did it end up with you and Katie? Are you two okay?" He saw tears start to glisten behind Jerry's glasses. "Jerry?"

"Oh, Alan!" Jerry cried before burying his face in his hands. "Katie was upset at first, really upset, but she told me that she knew _pop pop pop pop _that I was trying to do something nice for her."

Alan leaned forward to put his hand on Jerry's back. "Then why are you crying? It sounds like she's forgiven you."

Jerry grabbed a paper towel and wiped his eyes. "She did, she has. These tears are because…I don't know if I _should _marry her. My mother loved my father, I _purrrrr _know she did, but she suffered. Him always asking for toast, the looks she got from friends and relatives. Katie doesn't deserve that."

Alan rubbed Jerry's back silently while he sobbed softly. When the crying slowed down to snuffles he said, "I think it's up to _Katie_ to determine what she does and doesn't deserve. My advice to you is not to borrow trouble. Let your fiancée tell you what transpired at brunch with her mother; your imagination is running away with you."

The bespectacled man wiped his eyes, causing his glasses to sit on top of his head. "You're _pop_ right. Thank you, Alan."

"You're welcome," Alan replied as he smiled and stood. "I have to go; I told Denny I wouldn't be long." He grabbed his coat and put it on as he walked to the front door. "I really hope everything works out for you two. Take care."

Jerry held open his door as Alan stepped through and went to the elevator. When the doors slid open Jerry said, "Thanks, again. Goodbye" as Alan stepped in and the doors closed behind him. He hopped before closing his door. _Alan's right about not borrowing trouble. When Katie gets back, we'll talk._


	2. Chapter 2

Alan slid behind the wheel of his favorite car, the hunter green Bentley, and pointed its nose toward home. He had left Jerry's about three hours earlier to continue his Saturday routine. _It doesn't matter how long we've been gone from the firm, _he thought, _we always seem to have business on Boylston Street. _He had returned a shirt Denny had decided he didn't like after all. He spared a quick glance at the jewelry store where Denny had bought his wedding ring right after they had walked out of CP&S for the last time.* He smiled as he remembered how the store clerk had applauded as Denny placed his ring on his finger. _Jerry will probably jump high enough to hit the ceiling when he and Katie exchange rings. _That thought made him laugh out loud. _I want to have a drink and cigar and spend time with Denny._

Katie used her key to enter Jerry's apartment. "Are you home?" she called.

"In the kitchen," came the reply. She hung up her coat in the front closet and went into the kitchen to find Jerry sitting at the table. "How _purrrr _was brunch?"

She sat across from him. "All things considered, it went reasonably well. There were no tears or yelling on either of our parts and Mum only raised one issue: Children."

"What about them?" When Katie didn't answer right away, the light bulb went on over Jerry's head. "Ohhhh, _purrrrr, _your mother is worried any children we have will be…like me." He rubbed his face with both hands. "God, I never even thought about our children having Asperger's! Oh, no no no no no!"

Katie went to stand behind his chair and encircled him in her arms. "Our children might not get it; there's always that possibility. I didn't let it bother me when my mum mentioned it."

He patted her arms as he slowly began to gently sway from side to side. "I remember my mother becoming so frustrated with me because I wouldn't take my hands off my thighs. Sometimes, she would _pop _pull them off and yell at me when I would cry and put them back," he said softly as he recalled the memories. "When I got older, I saw how she would be embarrassed when her friends would brag about their sons and husbands. With a husband who would ask random strangers to make him some toast and a son who _pop pop pop pop _would do _that_, she withdrew until she really didn't have any friends at all. I overheard her talking to my aunt once and she said if it weren't for my sister, she didn't think she would have stayed sane." He removed Katie's arms, stood up and went to look out the kitchen window.

He stared out so long that Katie began to feel uneasy. "Jerry, please tell me what you're thinking."

He sighed and looked at her before slipping his cigarette into his mouth. Katie felt her stomach tighten when, instead of Silky Smooth Jerry, a very somber Jerry began to speak. "I'm thinking, Katie, that maybe your mom has a point. I'm thinking that neither one of us has thought realistically about how you marrying and starting a family with me would affect you. I think…" He removed his prop and looked stricken. "I think we should stop making wedding plans."

"Denny! Denny, I'm home!" Alan decided to check downstairs before heading to the bedroom. He walked into the kitchen and found the older man sitting at the counter watching Olympia the cook prepare dinner. "Hi, Denny, Olympia. That smells amazing, what is that?"

"Hello, Mr. Crane. This is called _kakavia, _it is a seafood stew from Greece."

Denny chimed in, "I had mentioned to Rodeo that I was thinking about calling you to bring home some ciappino from Legal Seafood and he said that his wife made the best Greek seafood stew, period. So, I decided we would have it tonight. My mouth is watering."

"Now that you are home, Mr. Crane, both of you please go into the dining room and I will have Rodeo bring the appetizers and salad in an hour."

Alan smiled and offered Denny his arm. "Olympia, I've never been thrown out of anywhere so diplomatically," he laughed. "Come on, Denny."

After dinner, the two Cranes were having their scotch and cigars in the den. Since they were no longer attached to Crane Poole and Schmidt (they refused to think of it as _Chang _Poole and Schmidt), the only balcony they sat on was the one off their bedroom and now it was way too cold to sit there. They were each sitting in recliners, blowing smoke rings up over their heads and enjoying each other's company immensely. After a good period of silence, Denny finally spoke. "Did you accomplish everything you wanted today?"

Alan blew a stream of smoke out and replied, "I think so. I stopped by Jerry's to see how he was doing after that fiasco of a surprise he gave Katie." Noting Denny's raised eyebrows, he continued, "I think they're going to be alright. Katie wasn't crazy about him bringing her mother to Boston unannounced, but she knew he was only trying to please her. She loves him and nothing her mother can say to her will change that fact."

Katie felt like she had been punched in the stomach. "What, what did you say?" she asked incredulously.

"You can keep the ring."

"I don't care about the bloody ring!" she shouted. "I _love_ you, Jerry! Don't let my mother come between us. We've come too far."

"I love you, too. I want you to be happy so I'm _pop _withdrawing my proposal of marriage. It's for the best."

Later, Jerry would think how much easier it would have been if Katie had cursed him, slapped his face or screamed that she hated him. But she didn't do any of those things. Silently, with tears coursing down her face, she removed her engagement ring, placed it on the counter and then turned around and walked out of the apartment. And Jerry cried for the second time that day.

*ref. "Married for Real"


	3. Chapter 3

Sunday late morning found Shirley and Carl comfortably sprawled on the thick carpeting of their living room with the various sections of the Boston Globe spread around them. They had enjoyed the leisurely breakfast he had made a few hours earlier and that treat had Shirley feeling grateful and frisky. When she had first kissed Carl and he responded, she had assumed they would head back upstairs, but he had surprised her by sinking them to the floor. Afterwards, he had arisen to bring the paper and coffee to her and resumed his place beside her.

"Wow, _two_ surprises this morning. You know, we're not twenty – somethings anymore; we might not be able to get up after rolling around on the rug," Shirley chided. "What made you decide to stay in the living room?"

Carl grinned devilishly. "Why not? Imagine _that_ 911 call: My husband and I have had sex and we can't get up!" He laughed aloud at his own joke. Just then, the phone rang and he glanced at the caller ID. "It's Katie," he announced before handing the cell to Shirley.

"Katie, hi. What? _Why_? Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Yes, I appreciate you letting me know. What can I do? Alright, but if you think of anything Carl or I can do, please do not hesitate to call me. I'll see you at work." She ended the call and announced, "Jerry's called off their engagement."

Carl sat upright. "You're kidding. Why?"

"Apparently, she told him her mother had questioned her about having healthy children and he freaked thinking how their children might inherit his Asperger's."

"Poor Katie. Poor _Jerry. _It must have killed him to break it off with her. Why was she calling you?"

"To tell me I can stop looking at catering halls and menus." She sighed heavily. "I was really pulling for those two."

Katie hung up from her call to Shirley and sipped some more of the Blue Mountain coffee she had brewed earlier. _I've called everyone I can think of calling except Mum. _As if on cue, her intercom buzzed. She walked from her bedroom to the intercom panel next to her front door. "Who is it?"

"It's your Mum, Dear."

A few minutes later, she opened the door in response to her mother's knock. "Good morning, Katie. I popped over to see if you'd like to have brunch."

"Thank you, no. I was about to call you. I have something to tell you." She waved her arm in her kitchen's direction. "Would you like a coffee?" Without waiting for an answer, she headed that way with Lady Lloyd following.

"You sound serious, Katie, and your eyes are so red. Have you been crying?" When her daughter nodded _yes_ she placed her hand on Katie's arm to stop her from preparing the coffee. Turning Katie to face her, she asked tenderly, "What is wrong, Darling?" Katie threw her arms around her mother and hugged her hard. Patting her back soothingly, Lady Lloyd said, "There, there, Katie. It's all right. Tell your Mum what's wrong."

"It's Jerry." After one more squeeze, Katie released her mother and leaned against her kitchen counter. "He's called off our engagement."

"_What? _How _dare _he do such a thing?"

Katie's eyes widened in surprise. "I thought you would be thrilled to hear I'm not marrying him!"

"I wanted _you _to break it off with _him! _That way, you could hold your head up; but this way, _he's _not marrying _you. _Why is that?"

"Because when I told him about our conversation at brunch yesterday, he said he hadn't thought about the possibility of our children having Asperger's and he didn't want me to suffer like his mother did." She shifted from side to side. "I told him I didn't care. He broke it off anyway."

Lady Lloyd sighed. She hated seeing her child hurting, but she was indeed happy that there would be no marriage to Jerry Espenson. "I'm sorry you're sad, Dear. What can I do to help?"

"Honestly, Mum, I think the best thing you can do is go home. I don't want you running up Daddy's credit card at that ridiculously expensive hotel and I don't want you having to fake sympathy for me when we both know this is what you wanted."

Lady Lloyd replied laughingly, "Katie, Daddy expects his credit card bill to be high. If I were to stop running it up, he would think I had dropped dead. And just because I didn't want you to marry that man doesn't mean that I don't care that you are hurting. You have always been strong willed and you've butted heads with your father and me through the years, but you are still our daughter and we both love you very much. However, I will honor your wishes and head home. I can probably switch my ticket to tonight's flight."

"I'll take you to Logan."

"No, I'll take a cab to the airport from the hotel. You know how I feel about those long airport goodbyes." She wrapped her arms around Katie and hugged her. "I love you, Daughter. If you need me, all you have to do is call."

"I love you, too, Mum. Safe travels. Kiss Daddy for me."

Denny and Alan had eaten lunch and were addressing Christmas cards in their home office. The senior Crane had made a practice of sending cards to current and former clients, in addition to his friends, years ago and his card list was very long and a veritable Who's Who of Boston elected officials and high society. When his name was still on the door of CP&S and his "Mad Cow" was slowly robbing him of his cognitive abilities, he had had secretaries to address all his envelopes; all he had to do was sign the scores of cards placed in front of him. When Alan had received the card list he requested, he was stunned to see how many names appeared. He had asked Denny if he wanted to hire a temp to handle the cards. "No," Denny had replied, "I couldn't do it before because I couldn't remember who half the people on the list were. Now with my new medication, I do, and I really want to do this."

Alan had simply nodded his head and said, "I'll help you." This was the third time in three days they were addressing cards.

Denny stretched and yawned while he took a quick break. "My hand is cramping," he said as he shook it vigorously. "How many more cards have to be done?"

Alan took a closer look at the list. "One hundred and two. I can't believe we've addressed more than three hundred. Next year, we're hiring a temp to do this."

"_Next year?_ We need to hire someone to address the New Year's cards next _week! _I'm Denny Crane! Do you really think I've only had four hundred and fifty clients in a career that's spanned more than fifty years? These are just my clients that celebrate Christmas."

"_What? _That's it, I'm having Rodeo interview for a temp tomorrow and get a stamp made that says 'Denny and Alan Crane' and we'll be done with this."

"Do you want to call Paul Lewiston to ask him to send me my New Year's Day card list?"

Alan snorted, "I want to call Paul Lewiston and tell him to jump out of the window. Will that do?"

Denny laughed, "Fine, you brat, I'll call him." He started to say something else, but the ringing of Alan's cell interrupted.

Alan looked at the phone, opened it and said, "Jerry! What's happening?" His smile faded as he listened. "Are you sure that's what you want to do? Do you want me to come?"

Denny was listening intently to Alan's half of the conversation. He hated to admit it, but a part of him was still jealous of Alan's friendship with Jerry. _I know I shouldn't be; after all, I'm Denny Crane! I'm the only man Alan will ever marry._

When Alan ended the call with an "I'm so sorry, Jerry" Denny looked at him expectantly. "Jerry decided to break off his engagement to Katie. He's pretty broken up about it, but he doesn't want to see me. He insisted he'll be fine once he gets back to work tomorrow."

"Well, if he says he's fine, he's fine." Spreading his arm over all the cards on their desks, Denny said, "Since we're getting a temp, we might as well leave this for her, too. Listen, now that there's not going to be a wedding, how about you and me heading out West to Vegas like we talked about last week?"

"Don't you think you're being a bit insensitive, Denny? Jerry might need a friend."

"If he needs a friend, he's got Clarence. He doesn't need you, too. What do you say, Alan? Christmas and New Year's in Lost Wages, Nevada? I heard there are new strip shows," he sing - songed.

Alan smiled in spite of himself. _He really wants to go. _"Sure, why not?"


End file.
